Thousands of Sydneysiders hold vigil for Paris victims

A defiant rendition of La Marseillaise has concluded a vigil by more than a thousand people in central Sydney to remember those killed in the Paris massacre.

The large crowd gathered at Sydney's Martin Place on Thursday night to hold a minute's silence at the same time as France stopped to remember those killed in the attack on the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday.

A minute's silence was held across France at noon on Thursday, and the hastily organised Martin Place vigil at 10pm was timed to correspond.

A large section of Martin Place - the site of the recent floral tributes after the deadly Sydney siege - was filled with people, most of them holding placards reading "Je suis Charlie", referring to the Paris-based magazine.

Many also held lit candles and held French flags for the event.

It comes after tens of thousands took to the streets in Paris to show their solidarity for the 12 people killed by gunmen at the offices of the iconic magazine.

Addressing the crowd, France's ambassador to Australia, Christophe Lecourtier, said the attackers had struck at the French principles of press freedom and freedom of expression.